Dr. Suess’ The Lorax

Dr. Suess’ The Lorax (2012)

Director: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda
Writer: Ken Daurio, Kyle Balda
Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny Devito

 

Plot: In a city where all the trees have been removed and replaced by plastic, a young boy becomes enamored with a girl who loves trees. Determined to the win her affection, the boy sets out to find “The Once-ler” the only person who knows what happened to the trees.

 

Rate It: (0 – 3 guys)

Adam:

Scotty:

Griff:

 

So what did you think? 

Adam – I thought it was an abomination filled to the brim with CGI and annoying song and dance numbers.  The message of the original book gets crushed under the weight of an obvious attempt to manipulate the audience stretch out this 22 page book into a feature length film.  I can’t see Dr. Seuss being down with this project in any way shape or form.

Scotty - The Lorax was one of the more boring children’s films I have seen but I should have expected it, considering every feature length movie based on a Dr. Seuss book is poorly done.  Once again the target audience is children and my kids were not that enthused, if it weren’t for the expensive snacks and the promise of dinner at Red Robin afterwards, my kids would have been less well behaved.  On a side note Red Robin was packed so we had to settle for Applebees.

Griff – Ridiculous plot aside, adding in all the terrible songs in the world won’t change the fact that this is just a shitty movie. I am astounded that the producers could have the gall to make a movie lecturing us about environment when they all most likely showed up to the premiere in private jets.

 

 

Any thoughts before you saw the movie? 

Adam – It had Danny DeVito as the Lorax so I was hoping it would be pretty funny.  I was thinking he could be a pretty funny and snarky Lorax.  This film also seemed like the kind of thing that Adam Jr. might get into.

Scotty – I liked the book The Lorax and was hoping they would get it right.

Griff – This looked like it was going to stink on ice.

 

 

Did you think this movie was fresh and/or innovative? 

Adam – No this seemed like a mashed up combination of a lot of recent animated films.  The CGI, characters and additions to the original plot seemed overdone and at the same time stale.

Scotty - Fresh and innovative it was not.  There seems to be a cookie cutter approach to films now a days and this did not veer off that track.

Griff – It’s a soul sucking re-make of a book and cartoon that were both far superior.

 

Did you think the script was well written? 

Adam - I don’t know how you could take such a simple tale and turn it into this tedious bore of a film.  This film managed to make the original simple 1972 animated short look like Citizen Kane.  You would think that the writers might have seen what had happened to the Mike Myers Cat in the Hat film, and maybe tried to avoid its mistakes rather than repeat them.

Scotty – Trying to make a film out of a short book is usually not a good place to start, the message is clear, but could have been done in a half hour.

Griff – Terrible beyond words. They tried to make up for a ridiculous plot and short run time by throwing in over the top chase scenes and terrible musical numbers. It doesn’t work. This animated nightmare couldn’t end soon enough.

 

Was there a performance you really liked or really hated? 

Adam – I thought Danny Devito was pretty good but his screen time is extremely limited and he did not have very much to work with script wise.

Scotty – Danny DeVito was a good Lorax.  Ed Helms annoyed me by the end of the film and Betty White was not even entertaining.  This whole Betty White phenomenon is starting to annoy me and is way overdone.  Let the hate mail begin.

Griff - Everyone and everything that had anything to do with this movie was terrible.

 

 

Do you remember a song from the film?

Adam – There were a lot of song and dance numbers, however I am trying my best to forget each and everyone of them.  No one is going to be humming these duds when they walk out of the theater.

Scotty - I am going to give a shout out to an acquaintance of ours.  Al Bombs, as we know him, helped with the production of “How Bad Can I Be.” I do not know if he wrote, co-wrote, produced or what but Al is a talented musician and I wish him much success.

Griff - I remember wanting them to stop singing.

 

What was your favorite line? 

Adam – “You have been warned”  The Lorax

Scotty – “I speak for the Tree’s”

Griff – “I am going to eat this but I am highly offended by it.”

 

 

What would have made this a better movie?

Adam - I would have stuck with the original story, you know the one that has sold several million copies.  You could have stretched out the original story without selling out making this cinematic atrocity.

Scotty – There is no need to make this a feature length film, why don’t they just remake them as they were intended, with better graphics and give us four Dr. Seuss tales in one sitting.  The book is short and great and the movie is long and boring.

Griff - This is a movie that shouldn’t have been made. The story wasn’t long enough to warrant a feature length film. That doesn’t mean someone with dollar signs in their eyes should try and cram it down our throats. I think the disaster that was The Cat in the Hat is proof of this. This is a movie that should not have been made.

 

 

Is it worth seeing in the theater? Or could you have waited for the DVD/Stream?

Adam - I don’t think I would even bother watching this on cable.  Even Adam Jr. did not seem that enthralled with the film and he’s only three and a half.

Scotty – No, wait until it comes out on DVD.  The 3D experience was sub-par and once again unnecessary.

Griff – I would kill this movie with fire if I could.

 

What other movies would you recommend if someone enjoyed this film? 

Adam –  I really liked the 1972 animated short.  You can pick that up with a Cat in the Hat combo on Amazon pretty cheap and you would be better served than shelling out $50 to take your family to see this film.

Scotty – If you enjoyed this film then see all the other terrible movies based on Dr. Seuss stories but I would recommend reading them instead.

Griff – I would cleanse your palate with one of the exceptional Pixar films. Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles are my two favorites.

 

Any final thoughts on this movie? 

Adam – You’re better off picking up the book The Lorax for $5 and reading it to your child.

Scotty – As I began writing this review I was okay with the film, but as I continued in the process, I became more and more angry and upset with the film.  This movie is useless and unnecessary.  I am no Seuss purist or anything but I am tired of these films and I am sure he would be also.  The greatness of Seuss was in his use of language as a tool to address issues of importance with an underlying joy, this gets lost in the films and in this film in particular.  His stories have a rhythm that is undeniable; this translates so poorly in a film.  Dr. Seuss stories are better read than viewed.

Griff - This is the is kind of movie that can only lead your child down the path of misguided eco-terrorism. Then we will have to see them on some mediocre documentary while they gear up for long prison terms. Don’t let this happen to your children!

Tagged as: Betty White, Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift, Zac Efron